Published December 8, 2025 · The Digital Desk at America Publishers
This Week’s Bestsellers: Breakout Debuts and Holiday Hits Reshape the Charts
This week’s bestseller charts reveal a dynamic mix of rising debuts, award-fueled momentum, and seasonal buying patterns that are reshaping reader interest across categories. Fiction continues to surge as word-of-mouth favorites push past early expectations, proving that long-tail discovery is still one of the strongest forces in publishing. At the same time, recognition from major retailers is giving select titles a powerful second life, lifting translated works and niche genres into broader visibility. Romantasy, a genre that has dominated social and indie communities for years, is entering a new phase with traditional houses amplifying previously self-published worlds. And as holiday shopping accelerates, puzzle books and interactive formats are making an impressive climb, reminding the industry how strongly readers respond to giftable, hands-on content. Together, these shifts create one of the most varied and competitive bestseller landscapes of the season.
Virginia Evans’s debut novel, The Correspondent, is proving to be one of the year’s most remarkable slow-burn success stories. Published in April with modest first-week print sales, the novel entered the market with quiet confidence, supported by a thoughtful blurb from author and bookseller Ann Patchett. But what followed was something no marketing plan can manufacture: genuine reader-driven momentum. Word of mouth began circulating steadily through book clubs, social platforms, and indie store recommendations, lifting the novel week after week. After 25 weeks on sale, The Correspondent had reached a respectable 59,000 print copies sold. In just six additional weeks, that number has surged past 117,000, more than doubling its total and securing a strong position at #12 on this week’s hardcover fiction list. Its climb is a reminder that authentic storytelling, paired with organic community buzz, can propel a debut far beyond early projections.
Recognition continues to play a powerful role in shaping sales trajectories, and Mona’s Eyes is this week’s clearest example. On November 13, Barnes & Noble named the August release its Book of the Year, an accolade that instantly broadened the novel’s reach beyond its already dedicated readership. Written by arts historian Thomas Schlesser and translated from the French by Hildegarde Serle, the novel was praised for its vibrant storytelling and emotional depth. Following the announcement, sales more than doubled, lifting the title into a competitive position on the hardcover fiction list. It now stands at #11 this week, a significant leap for a translated work in a crowded market. The surge demonstrates the continued influence of major retailer endorsements, particularly during the holiday season, when readers gravitate toward books marked as trusted, standout picks.
Romantasy continues to dominate both indie and traditional spaces, and Amber V. Nicole’s Gods & Monsters series is a standout example of how author-driven momentum can evolve into major publishing opportunities. Nicole originally released the first three books independently, cultivating a loyal readership that pushed the series into viral territory. In 2025, Kensington stepped in, signing the author and reintroducing the trilogy through its KRT program, which specializes in revitalizing previously self-published titles. This fall, the momentum intensified: the fourth installment, Wrath of the Fallen, arrived under Kensington’s flagship imprint in October, expanding the world and reigniting interest in the earlier books. Now, a deluxe edition of the series opener, The Book of Azrael, has debuted at #6 on the hardcover fiction list. It’s a telling sign of the genre’s staying power and of how traditional publishers are increasingly tapping into indie-born universes with built-in fanbases.
As holiday shopping accelerates, puzzle books are experiencing a powerful seasonal surge, turning niche formats into top-performing bestsellers. Leading the charge is Puzzle Mania! by Joel Fagliano, the New York Times lead puzzle editor, which debuts at #10 on the hardcover nonfiction list. The book offers analog versions of digital favorites like Wordle, Spelling Bee, and Connections, along with new games and an impressive foldout mega crossword, making it a natural pick for gift-givers seeking something fun, interactive, and screen-free. The momentum doesn’t stop there. G.T. Karber’s Murdle franchise continues its remarkable run, with Merry Murdle, the sixth installment, landing at #3 on the trade paper list in its seventh week on sale. With sales doubling from the previous week, it marks the title’s strongest performance yet. Meanwhile, the first Murdle book, published in 2023, has now reached an extraordinary 889,000 print copies sold. Together, these numbers highlight a growing appetite for brain-teasing, family-friendly books, especially as readers look for engaging gifts heading into the final stretch of the year.
As the season intensifies, these shifts signal a competitive finish to the year, with breakout debuts, award recognition, and holiday favorites reshaping the charts week after week.
Source: Publishers Weekly, “This Week’s Bestsellers: December 8, 2025,” Edited by Carolyn Juris. Read more at: PublishersWeekly.com.